Hone type safety razor



Sept. 26, 1944. 4, Q R E,

BONE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1944 as mnnmuumlumm III/ a]; 1 Frie] fiept, 2%, @344. J c FEEL, 2,359,@28

HONE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedSept. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HONE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR JamesC. Friel, New York, N. Y.

Application February 24, 1944, Serial No. 523,711

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a safety razor of the type incorporating ahone which is operated against the blade to recondition the shaving edgewhile the blade remains in shaving position.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide blade holding meansfor resiliently engaging the blade solely on opposite sides of itslongitudinal median portion along longitudinal substantially linearregions at a distance from the blade edges, leaving the intermediateportion free from pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a razor of the typedescribed, having a blade table terminating rearwardly of the hone whenthe latter is in retracted position, having a flat blade seat slopingdownwardly in a forward direction, the plane of the slope clearing thepath of the hone, so that the blade lying fiat upon the blade table whenunstressed, overlies the hone with its shaving edge extending forwardbeyond the hone, and resilient blade retaining means engaging the bladeon opposite sides of its longitudinal median portion, pressing upon theoverhanging portion of said blade substantially throughout itslongitudinal extent, deflecting the blade against the hone with its edgein the path of the hone and into proper shaving position, the bladebeing free between the lines of pressure to assume a natural upwardcamber incident to the downward displacement of its forward portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for grasping thehone to draw it back and forth against the blade, alternative to thenormal operation through inertia, by wrist motion about the pivot of thelever which carries the hone.

A more specific object of the invention relates to the resilient bladeretaining cap per se, and its means of attachment and release.

Other objects of the invention will appear as tical embodiment thereofproceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the followingspecification and throughout the several figures of which the samecharacters of reference have been used to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the razor;

Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the blade retaining cap;

Figure 4 is a perspective view partly in section showing in detail analternative form of guard construction v the following description of apreferred and prac- Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofa modification of the invention;

Figure 6 is a front elevation;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the blade-retaining cap.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the frame I includes ingeneral all of the razor except the blade and blade retaining cap. Itcomprises the handle 2 with the head 3 secured at one end thereto, andthe lever 6 and the parts carried thereby, including the hone 5. Saidhead is formed with a forwardly opening slot 4 receiving the hone 5 whenthe latter is in retracted position.

The bone is carried at the end of a lever 6 normally housed within thehandle 2 and pivotally mounted therein at 1, adjacent the lower end. Thehone is tiltably connected to the upper end of the handle by the pivotjoint 8, constructed to give the hone a slight freedom of tilt in atransverse direction. The lever 6 is swingable to a position outside ofthe confines of the handle 2 through a longitudinal slot 9 in theforward side of the handle. The hone 5 is advanced or retracted withrespect to the slot 4 by the movements of the handle 6, its uppersurface executing an arcuate movement concentric to the pivot I. Thehone may be of some inherently abrasive material such as cast iron orsome suitable material to which an abrasive substance maybe applied, andis mounted upon a plate 9', movable with the handle, and having a turnedover bead II) at the forward edge constituting a guard.

That portion II of the head 3 which is above the slot 4 constitutes ablade table having a flat upper surface I2 sloping downwardly in aforward direction. A plurality of posts I3, in the illustrated Example 2rise in longitudinal arrangement from the intermediate portion of theblade table II in fixed relation thereto, having grooves I4 near theirupper ends, the portions of said posts above said grooves constitutingretaining heads for the blade retaining cap l5.

When the blade retaining cap is not in place, the blade I6, which is ofthe thin, flexible, double edged type, lies unstressed, fiat upon thesurface I2 of the blade table II, the latter preferably being providedwith an upstanding bead I'I adjacent the inactive edge of the blade forprotecting the latter, and for safetys sake. The slope of the surface I2is such that when the blade is seated thereupon in unstressed condition,it is above the path of movement of the hone 5. The forward edge I8 ofthe blade table II terminates rearwardly of the forward edge I9 of thehone, The

blade extends forwardly beyond the hone and into proximity to the guardHi.

The blade retaining cap [5, which is best shown in Figure 3, and whichis constructed of springy material, comprises an intermediate portion 23having keyhole slots 2 l corresponding in number to the pins I3, thelarger portions of which slots slip over said pins, and the smallerportions of which enter the grooves [4 in said pins and are overlain bythe heads thereof to retain the cap H3 in position. The cap is providedwith the downwardly sloping side members 22 and with turned down endportions 23. The resilient side members 22 press upon the blade onopposite sides of its longitudinal median portion when the cap is inblade retaining position. To apply the cap, it is first placed over thepins l3, then pressed in a downward direction to somewhat flatten theside members 22, and to bring the intermediate portion into the plane ofthe grooves in the pins I3. The cap is then shifted transversely tointerlock the cap with the pins [3. Preferably, the cap has a roughenedor corrugated finger engaging portion 24' to facilitate this slidingmovement. When the cap is in place, the edges of the side members 22press resiliently upon the blade both adjacent its active and inactiveedges along a substantially linear region slightly back from said edges.Since the forward portion of the blade overhangs the forward edge 18 ofthe blade table, the pressure of the cap deflects this forward portiondownwardly about the forward edge of the blade table until it contactsthe forward edge IQ of the hone along a line somewhat back of theshaving edge of the blade.v This contacting pressure holds the hone andguard lightly in retracted position,,and also brings the shaving edgeinto the path of the hone.

It is obvious from, the above that when the hone reciprocates againstthe shaving edge, all parts of the shaving edge are pressed against thehone, for should there be any longitudinal misalignment between theshaving edge and the the apertures which receive the pins, is free tocamber upwardly responsive to the downward deflection of the forwardportion of the blade, and thus is free from any localized stresses inits intermediate longitudinal portion.

It is obvious that by removing the cap the blade may be reversed tobring the inactive edge into shaving position.

The group of Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, disclose a modification of theinvention in which the frame is so constructed as to expose both edgesof the blade in shaving position, only one edge being in the path of thehone so that to sharpen hone, the part first contacted by the hone islifted against the yielding pressure. If the blade were held rigidly inplace, as by a nonresilient cap or cover, the-resultant inflexibility ofthe forward or shaving edge of the blade would prevent the blade, frombeing evenly sharpened across its entire forward, or shaving, bevelededge, and would prevent the hone from sliding freely back and forthbeneath the shaving edge and in continuous contact therewith.

The normal method of operating the hone is to reciprocate it throughinertia by sudden rotary movement of the frame about the pivot 1,imparted by a snapping motion of the wrist while the razor is held inthe hand. The hone may be alternatively operated by grasping the ends ofthe guard and drawing the hone back and forth, and to facilitate thismode of operation, the ends of the guard are preferably slightlyextended longitudinally to form the fingerholds 25 shown in Figure 2.

An alternative construction is to bend the bead I0 about a rod 26 havingknob extensions 21 at its outer ends. 7

One of the most advantageous features of this razor is the fact that theblade is free from localized. strains which generally cause blades ofthis type to break. The retaining cap I5 is spaced from the blade,except along the lines of resilient pressure hereinbefore described, sothat the middle portionof the blade, which is structurally the weakestpart, due to the presence of the other edge the blade must be reversedin the frame.

The frame comprises the slotted handle 29 having the hone carrying lever30 pivotally mounted therein, which emerges from the slotv 3| in thefront of the handle. Fixed to the top of the lever 30 is atransverseplate 32 upon which the hone 33-is mounted, the front edge portion ofsaid plate constituting the guard 34. The hone, as shown, is dovetailedinto a groove in the plate 32.,

The handle 29 is provided with the head 35 having a recess in itsforwardside to receive the rearward portion of the plate 32 and bone 33 whenthe lever is retracted. The upper face of the head 35 forms a convex.blade table 36 with longitudinally spaced headed posts 31 risingtherefrom.

The blade table 36' is considerably shorter in a widthwise directionthan the width of the blade 38, and is symmetrical with respect to alongitudinal plane embracingthe axis of the handle 23. The side of thehead 35 remote from the hone is formed with a recess 39'beneath theblade, the contour of the wall of. which recess is such that the headprovides a ridge 40 contact'ed lightly by the blade when the latter isin shaving position. This ridge and the outward edge 4| of the hone whenthe latter is in retracted position, are symmetrically located with"respect to the longitudinal plane embracing the axis of the handle. Thehead terminates in a guard; the guards 34 and 42-beingalso'symmetrically positioned. .The longitudinal marginal portion' ofthe blade overhangs the channel 46'between the ridge 40 and guard 42.

The blade retaining cap'43'is'a concavo-convex resilient member havingadeeper curvature when free than that ofthe blade table 36; the longitudinal edges of which contact the blade along lines intermediate thefront edge of hone 4| and front guard34, andbetween the'rear'edge ofblade table 40 and rearguard42; The-cap 43 is' provided-with the keyholeslots 44*. It is putin place by pressing it uponthe blade until theheads of the posts protrude through the large ends of the keyhole slots,then moving'itlongitudinally until the shanks of the=posts are' withinthe small ends of the keyhole slots. The corrugations 45 on the cap forma non-slip pressure spot to assist in manipulating the cap.

The resilient pressure of the cap warps the blade into surface contactwith the blade table and brings the blade into light contact with thehone 33, on the one side, and the ridge 40 on the other, with the edgesof 'the blade-in shaving position with respect to' the adjacent guards.

The hone and guard 34 are held in'retracted position bythe blade.

In this-modification, both edges of the blade are available for shavingwithout reversing the blade. It is only necessary to reverse it forsharpening the normally remot edge.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to bepreferred and practical embodiments of the invention, it will beunderstood to those skilled in the art that the specific details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts as shown and described are by wayof illustration and not to be construed as limiting the scope of theinvention defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A razor comprising a frame including a handle, a guard, and a headfixed to said handle having a blade seat sloping toward said guard; ablade retaining cap having an intermediate portion and resilient sideportions deflected bladeward from said intermediate portion, means forpositioning a blade on said seat with its forward portion overhangingthe edge of said seat, and interlocking means between said cap and headfor holding said cap in blade retaining position with said side portionslongitudinally resiliently engaging said blade on opposite sides of saidblade positioning means, respectively engaging the overhanging portionof said blade deflecting it toward said guard, and the rearward portionof said blade, holding it against said seat.

2. A razor comprising a frame including a handle, a guard, and a headfixed to said handle having a flat blade seat sloping toward said guard,and blade positioning pins for allocating a blade on said seat with itsforward portion overhanging the forward edge of said seat and itsshaving edge in proximity to said guard, a blade retaining cap having anintermediate portion and resilient side portions deflected bladewardfrom said intermediate portion, and interlocking means between said capand pins for holding said cap in blade retaining position with said sideportions longitudinally resiliently engaging said blade on oppositesides of said pins, respectively engaging the overhanging portion ofsaid blade deflecting it toward said guard, and the rearward portion ofsaid blade, holding it against said seat.

3. A razor comprising a frame including a handle, a guard, and a headfixed to said handle having a flat blade seat sloping toward said guard,and blade positioning pins for allocating a blade on said seat with itsforward portion overhanging the forward edge of said seat and itsshaving edge in proximity to said guard, a blade retaining cap having anintermediate portion and resilient side portions deflected bladewardfrom said intermediate portion, and interlocking means between said capand pins forholding said cap in blade retaining position with said sideportions longitudinally resiliently engaging said blade on oppositesides of said pins, respectively engaging the overhanging portion ofsaid blade deflecting it toward said guard, and the rearward portion ofsaid blade, holding it against said seat, said seat being bounded at itsrear by a ridge extending above the plane of said seat adjacent theinactive edge of said blade.

4. A razor comprising a frame including a hol low handle, a head fixedto said handle provided with a forwardly opening hone receiving slot anda forwardly and downwardly sloping fiat face constituting a blade table,a lever pivoted at its lower end in said handle and swingable through aslot in the forward side of said handle, a hone and a guard carried bysaid lever, said guard being forward of said hone, the length of saidlever being such that said hone swings to a retracted position withinsaid slot, the forward edge of said hone projecting forwardly of saidblade table, means for allocating a blade on said blade table with itsforward portion overhanging the forward edge of said blade table and itsshaving edge in proximity to said guard, the slope of said blade tablebeing such that a blade seated thereupon in fiat unstressed conditionclears the path of movement of said hone, a blade retaining cap havingdownwardly directed resilient opposite side portions, and interlockingmeans between said cap and allocating means for holding said cap inblade retaining position with said side portions longitudinallyresiliently engaging said blade on opposite sides of blade allocatingmeans, respectively engaging the overhanging portion of said bladedeflecting it against said hone with its shaving edge in the path ofmovement of said hone, and engaging the rearward portion of said blade,holding it against said blade table.

5. A razor comprising a, frame including a hollow handle and a headfixed to said handle provided with a forwardly opening hone receivingslot and a forwardly and downwardly sloping fiat face constituting ablade table, a lever pivoted at its lower end in said handle andswingable through a slot in the forward side of said handle, a hone anda guard carried by said lever, said guard being forward of said hone,the length of said lever being such that said hone swings to retractedposition within said slot, the forward edge of said hone projectingforwardly of said blade table, pins for allocating a blade on said bladetable with its forward portion overhanging the forward edge of saidblade table and its shaving edge in proximity to said guard, the slopeof said blade table being such that a blade seated thereupon in fiatunstressed condition clears the path of movement of said hone, a bladeretaining cap havin downwardly directing resilient opposite sideportions, and interlocking means between said cap and pins for holdingsaid cap in blade retaining position with said side portionslongitudinally resiliently engaging said blade on opposite sides of saidpins, respectively engaging the overhanging portion of said bladedeflecting it against said hone with the shaving edge in the path ofmovement of said hone, and engaging the rearward portion of said blade,holding it against said blade table.

6. A razor comprising a frame including a hollow handle and a head fixedto said handle provided with a forwardly opening hone receiving slot anda forwardly and downwardly sloping flat face constituting a blade table,a lever pivoted at its lower end in said handle and swingable through aslot in the forward side of said handle, a hone and a guard carried bysaid lever, said guard being forward of said hone, the length of saidlever being such that said hone swings to retracted position within saidslot, its forward edge projecting forwardly of said blade table, pinsrising from said blade table for allocating a blade on said blade tablewith its forward portion overhanging the forward edge of said bladetable and its shaving edge in proximity to said guard, the slope of saidblade table being such that a blade seated thereupon in flat unstressedcondition clears the path of movement of said hone, a blade retainingcap having an intermediate portion and resilient side portions deflectedbladeward from said intermediate portion, said intermediate portionbeing provided with keyhole slots interlocking with grooves on saidpinsfor holding said cap in blade retaining position with said sideportions longitudinally resiliently engaging said blade on oppositesides of said pins, respectively engaging the overhanging portion ofsaid blade'deflecting it against said hone with its shaving edge in thepath of movement of said hone, and engaging the rearward portion of saidblade, holding it against said blade table. 7

7. A razor comprising a frame including a hollow handle and a head fixedto said handle provided with a forwardly opening hone receiving slot anda forwardly and downwardly sloping flat face constituting a blade table,a lever pivoted at its loweriend in said handle and swingable through aslot in the forward side of said handie, a hone and a guard carried bysaid lever, said guard beng forward of said hone, the length of saidlever such that said hone swings to retracted position within said slot,the forward edge of said hone projecting forwardly of said blade table,pins for allocating a blade on said blade table with its forward portionoverhanging the forward edge of said blade table and its shaving edge inproximity to said guard, the slope of said blade table being such that ablade seated thereupon in flat unstressed condition clears the path ofmovement of said hone, a blade retaining cap having downwardly dirootingresilient opposite side portions, and interlocking means between saidcap and pins for holding said cap in blade retaining position with saidside portions longitudinally resiliently engaging said blade on oppositesides of said pins, respectively engaging the overhanging portion ofsaid blade deflecting it against said hone with the shaving edge in thepath'of movement of said hone, and engaging the rearward portion of saidblade, holding it against said blade table, said blade table beingbounded at its rear by a ridge extending above the plane of said bladetable adjacent the inactive edge of said blade.

.8. A razor as claimed in claim 4, said guard having longitudinal endextensions affording fingerholds for reciprocating said hone.

9. A razor as claimed in claim l, said guard including .a core rodhaving longitudinal end extensions constituting finger-holds forreciprocating said hone.

, 10. A razor comprising a frame including a handle, a guard, and a headfixed to said handle having a blade seat with the forward portionsloping toward said guard, a dished blade retain- :ing cap of resilientmaterial, means for positioning a blade on said seat with its forwardportion overhanging the edge of said seat, and in terlocking meansbetween said cap and head for holding said cap in blade retainingposition with its edges pressed resiliently against said blade onopposite sides of said blade positioning means, the forward edge of saidcap engaging the overhanging portion of said blade, deflecting it towardsaid 7 11.. A razor comprising a frame including a hollow handle, a headfixed to said handle provided with a forwardly opening hone receivingslot and a forwardly and downwardly sloping face constituting a bladetable, a lever pivoted at its lower end in said handle and swingablethrough a slot in the forward side of said handle, a hone a guardcarried by said lever, said guard being forward of said hone, the lengthof said lever being such that said hone swings to a retracted positionwithin said slot, the forward edge of said hone projecting forwardly ofsaid blade table, means for positioning a blade on said blade'table withits forward portion overhanging the forward edge of said blade table andits shaving edge in proximity to said guard, a dished blade retainingcap of resilient material, and interlocking means between said cap andpositioning means for holding said cap in blade retaining positionwith'its edges pressed resiliently against said blade on opposite sidesof said positioning means, the forward edge of said cap engaging thoverhanging portion of said blade, deflecting it into contact with theforward edge of said hone with its shaving edge in the path of movementof said hone.

12. A razor comprising a frame including a hollow handle, a head fixedto said handle provided with a forwardly opening hone receiving slot anda forwardly and downwardly sloping face constituting a blade table, alever pivoted at its lower end in said handle and swingable through aslot in the forward side of said handle, a hone and a guard carried bysaid lever, said guard being forward of said hone, the length of saidlever being such that said hone swings to a retracted position withinsaid slot, the forward edge of said hone projecting forwardly of saidblade table, pins for positionin a blade on said blad table with itsforward portion overhanging the forward edge of said blade table and itshaving edge in proximity to said guard, a dished blade retaining cap ofresilient material, and interlocking means between said cap and pins forholding said cap in blade retaining position with its edges pressedresiliently against said blade on opposite sides of said pins, theforward edge of said cap engaging the overhanging portion of said blade,deflecting it into contact with the forward edge of said hone with itsshaving edge in the path of movement of said hone.

13. A razor comprising a frame including a hollow handle and a headfixed to said handle having a convex blade table, longitudinally spacedblade positioning pins rising from said blade table, the width of saidblade table being less than the width of a double edged blade wherebyboth sides of said blade overhang said blade table, a lever pivoted atits lower end in said handle and swingable through a slot in saidhandle, a hone and guard carried by said lever, said guard being forwardof said hone, one side of said head being formed with a hone receivingslot, the forward edge of said hone being beneath the adjacentoverhanging portion of said blade when said hone is in retractedposition, the opposite side of said head having a guard and being formedwith a ridge beneath the adjacent overhanging portion of said blade, aconcave-convex blade retaining cap of resilient material, andinterlocking means between said cap and pins for holding said cap inblade retaining position with its edges pressed resiliently against theoverhanging portion of said blade on opposite sides of said pins,deflecting the overhanging portions respectively into contact with theforward-edge of said hone and with said ridgasaid cap, pins, bladetable, guards, and the forward edge of said hone when retracted andsaidridge, being ymmetrically disposed with respect to a longitudinalplane through said head embracing the axis of said handle.

14. A razor comprising a fram including a h'o-llow handle and a' headfixed to said handle having a convex blade table, longitudinally spacedblade positioning pins rising from said blade table,

the width of said blade table being les than the width ofa double edgedblade whereby both sides of said blade overhang said blade table, alever pivoted at its lower end in said handle and swingable through aslot in said handle, a hone and guard carried by said lever, said guardbeing forward of said hone, one side of said head being formed with ahone receiving slot, the forward edge of said hone being beneath theadjacent overhanging portion of said blade when said blade is inretracted position, the opposite side of said head having a guard andbeing formed with a channel beneath the adjacent overhanging marginaledge portion of said blade, a concave-convex blade retaining cap ofresilient material, and interlocking mean between said cap and pins forholding said cap in blade retaining position with its edges pressedresiliently against the overhanging portions of said blade on oppositsides of said pins, deflecting one of the overhanging portions intocontact with the forward edge of said hone and both edges into shavingproximity to the respective adjacent guards.

15. A razor comprising a frame including a handle and a head secured tosaid handle, said head being provided with a longitudinal hone receivingslot opening along the front of said head,

said head having a blade seat sloping forwardly toward said slot thefront edge of said blade seat forming the upper edge of said slot, meansfor positioning a blade on said seat with its forward portionoverhanging the front edge of said seat, a hone slidable back and forthwithin said slot against the edge of the blade, the front edge of saidhone projecting beyond the front edge of said blade seat when said honeis in retracted position, a resilient blad retaining cap havingbladeward extending longitudinal side portions, interlocking meansbetween said cap and head for holding said cap in blade retaininposition with said side portions resiliently pressed against said bladeon opposite sides of said blade positioning means, respectively engaginthe overhanging portion of said blade deflecting it against the frontedge of the retracted hone, and the rearward portion of said blade,holding it against said seat.

16. A razor as claimed in claim 15, including a guard carried by saidhone positioned forwardly of the adjacent blade edge.

JAMES C. FRIEL.

